Spending my first full winter in St. Louis has been a good experience. I have learned that winter is like Chinese food. My favorite Chinese restaurants serve a highly Americanized version of Chinese food, while authentic Chinese food terrifies me. In the same way that a Chinese customer would scoff at what I call good Chinese food, a Midwesterner would laugh at a San Francisco winter. So I wasn’t cut out for a “real” winter, but when it pains you to laugh at me because each breath temporarily freezes your lungs, then try to convince me why eating chicken feet is better than a big plate of Mongolian beef.

In the spirit of adventure and trying new things despite the cold, Johnny and I traveled north to visit the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It was a very cool sight. From the banks of the Missouri, we could hear the slush of the partially frozen river flowing by. There were big circular ice rafts that rolled along the edge of the river past us. Between Missouri and Illinois, the Mississippi had a layer of ice several inches thick that buckled up against obstacles. It’s worth the short drive if you’ve never seen an icy river.